Illinois governor signs trio of major reproductive rights bills into law
Springfield, Illinois - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed a series of bills into law expanding access to abortion care and reproductive freedom.
HB 581 codifies a federal law permitting health care professionals to perform abortions in cases of clinical emergency, and authorizes the state's Department of Public Health to investigate any violations.
HB 5239 expands the state's shield law to prevent the state from sharing any information or dedicating any resources to assist an investigation into an out-of-state patient seeking abortion care in Illinois.
There was also HB 4867, which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to ban discrimination based on reproductive health decisions.
"We're here today with a single, straightforward message: Illinois will always be a place where women have the freedom to make their own medical decisions," Pritzker said in a statement on X. "And that's why I'm proud as Governor to sign legislation that further protects and expands reproductive rights in our state."
Illinois is one of the Democratic-led states that has sought to ensure continued access to reproductive health care following the Supreme Court's June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade protections.
Cover photo: Marco BELLO / AFP